Countywide : Adult School Gets Federal Grant for Job Training

The Ventura Adult School has been awarded a $285,000 federal grant to provide a job training and placement program for unemployed county residents.

The adult school, which is operated by the Ventura Unified School District, will use the grant to offer the free training program to 31 eligible applicants, said program coordinator Doug Randolph.

Students will be trained for specific job skills, including computerized accounting, data processing, word processing and computer repair.

Courses will last from 18 to 35 weeks, Randolph said.

Participants will also be provided free child care, transportation assistance and job placement help, he said.

Language development, preparation for the high school equivalency examination and basic math and reading instruction will also be offered at no cost.

The program is sponsored by the Job Training Policy Council of Ventura County, which administers funds for the county that are received through the federal Job Training Partnership Act.

To be eligible for the job program, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Ventura County, 22 or older and meet certain low-income guidelines.

People interested in applying should call Randolph at 339-9728.